Rolex Paris Masters – 6-0, 6-3: Novak Djokovic sweeps Lorenzo Musetti to advance to semi-final

Novak Djokovic did not intend to drag on the court, Friday evening, at the Accor Arena in Bercy. Opposed for the third time in his career to Lorenzo Musetti, the Serb did not go into detail to overcome the recent winner in Florence in two sets (6-0, 6-3). Qualified for the semi-finals without losing a set, the Serb confirms that he is determined to end 2022 like a cannonball.

Fresher than usual

For nearly half an hour, Lorenzo Musetti lived a real ordeal. Suffocated by a Novak Djokovic who dictated the game without being exceptional in service (only 50% of the first ball during the first act), the Italian never seemed able to overwhelm his opponent. Neither his usually silky backhand nor his rounded trajectories allowed him to hurt the Serb, whose ground cover remains one of the best in the world.

Comfortable against, the “Djoker” was also when it was necessary to take initiatives on the forehand side, at the slightest ball a little more neutral from the 23rd player in the world. Result of the races, he only committed two small unforced errors and inflicted a scathing “bagel” on Casper Ruud’s scorer.

The second act took a completely different turn. Freed by the victory of his first game, during which he was particularly daring on the second ball, Musetti planted a banderilla on the backhand side of which he has the secret to initiate the beginning of a revolt. Jostled for the first time in this part, Djokovic thus dropped his commitment, without panicking. By finding a quality of service worthy of the name and by restoring the necessary intensity with his forehand, the man with 21 Grand Slam titles has set the record straight, chaining four games to get closer to the semis.

Musetti never recovered, finally yielding on a last shot played without any conviction. Without flinching, Novak Djokovic therefore confirms his statements from the start of the week, where he claimed to feel fresh and to have managed to find his balance on the court for the past five months. His next opponent, the winner of the meeting between Tommy Paul and Stefanos Tsitsipas is warned: “Nole” is (very) hungry.